Farmer’s Emotional ‘Shark Tank’ Pitch Lands Him the Deal of a Lifetime

When Florida farmer Johnny Georges went on Shark Tank, he knew he just had to be himself.

Georges spent years in Florida selling his innovative product called Tree T-PEE, which drastically cuts water costs on large-scale tree farms, to hard-working farmers on the cheap. His product was so clever that it earned him a spot on Shark Tank, a popular business-pitch TV show.

His emotional pitch and refusal to compromise his morals for business were so compelling that the scene helped Shark Tank win an Emmythat year.

On the show, Georges talked about the importance of selling farmers a quality product at a low cost. While his sincerity and emotional speech about his father, who taught him everything, moved all three judges, they were shocked by his small profit margins. Kevin O’Leary, one of the more brutal judges, pressed him to raise the price of the product to expand his market. “Yeah, but you’re selling to farmers,” Georges responded.

His sincerity impressed all of the sharks, but it only won over one, John Paul Dejoria. “Farmers are the cornerstone of America,” said Dejoria. “I’m going to give you everything you’re asking for. What you’re doing is right, and you deserve the chance to make it big and do a lot of good.”